READING FC slumped to their fifth defeat in six Championship home games after QPR took the honours in tonight’s hoops derby.

Royals have collected a measly three points at Madejski Stadium this season and could have few complaints about their latest setback.

Rangers skipper Toni Leistner’s 64th minute goal saw Steve McClaren’s visitors end a run of three straight losses in all competitions without finding the net.

As for Reading, it is back to the drawing board after another disappointing result.

A mini-revival that saw Clement’s men win two and draw one of their previous four games has suddenly hit the buffers.

Admittedly, they were not helped by losing top scorer, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, to injury in the warm up.

But that cannot excuse the lacklustre approach that permeated Reading’s play, particularly in the first half when the visitors were far the better side.

Such was the depth of Reading’s frustration that referee Andy Davies booked both Yakou Meite and Saeid Ezatolahi for simulation in the second half as they desperately searched for a way back.

Davies did not have the best of night either – but again that cannot be blamed for the end result.

Royals must now hope for a positive result at West Bromwich Albion this Saturday or the following fortnight’s international break will feel like an absolute age.

Initially, Clement made two changes to his starting line-up as Sone Aluko and Liam Kelly came in for John Swift and Yakou Meite.

There was no place in the squad for John O’Shea as he returned from suspension, while Sam Walker got the nod between the sticks ahead of fit-again Vito Mannone.

But Clement’s plans were thrown into late disarray when Bodvarsson tweaked something in the warm-up, so Meite stepped into his boots with teenager Danny Loader added to the bench.

QPR flew out of the blocks, won a corner after 23 seconds and pinned Reading back for the first few minutes.

But the hosts created half a chance on six minutes when Kelly collected Aluko’s pass only for Joel Lynch to smother his shot.

However, Clement was relieved to see a Jordan Cousins bullet header fly inches over the bar from Jake Bidwell’s cross in the 12th minute, though Liam Moore did just enough to put the Rangers wide-man off.

Royals may have been the home side, but they were being starved of possession and had seen just 37 per cent of the ball at the midway point of the first half.

That was mostly down to Ranger’s ability to keep the ball under pressure while playing some attractive stuff on the eye.

They went close again in the 22nd minute when Moore slipped as he went to deal with a Cousins centre, the ball hitting a startled Ilori and bouncing a foot wide.

Ezatolahi relieved some pressure with a speculative 30-yarder that finished up in the away end.

And moment later Kelly’s deflected effort flew into the grateful arms of Joe Lumley after Barrow and Meite had combined down the left.

But by far the best chance of the first half fell to Rangers five minutes before the break.

Royals were probing deep in QPR territory when the visitors countered with pace through the energetic Eberechi Eze.

Nahki Well arrived in support, but Walker read his shot perfectly and beat the ball away.

The hosts needed to step it after the interval, but Meite’s volley almost hit the roof of the stadium after a terrific 60-yard pass from Ezatolahi to turn defence into attack.

Meite blotted his copybook further when he was booked for diving in the box following a clash with Leistner in the 54th minute.

The night soon got worse for Reading when the visitors broke the deadlock in the 64th minute.

Walker made a sensational save low to his left to push a Wells piledriver out for a corner.

But Royals failed to deal with the flag-kick as the ball ping-ponged around the six-yard box before Leistner smashed it high into the net.

Clement acted immediately by throwing on Josh Sims and Swift for Aluko and Kelly.

However, Reading seemed to be running out of ideas as Ezatolahi was also yellow carded for simulation as he tried to win a penalty.

Yet the home side felt hard done by moments later when Andy Yiadom also went down in the Rangers area, but Davies turned down Royals' strong appeals

Neverthless, Meite led the fightback and almost equalised in the 75th minute.

Barrow weaved his way into the area before teeing up the Royals striker, whose shot on the turn beat Lumley but crashed against the far post.

Then moments later the French striker put another effort narrowly wide with Lumley scrambling across.

Sadly, Reading lacked the imagination to break down the Rangers defence in the closing stages.

Swift did fire a free-kick straight down Lumley’s throat, but that was as good as it got after another depressing home defeat.

Reading FC: Walker, Gunter, Ilori, Moore (c), Yiadom, Aluko (Sims 65), Kelly (Swift 65), Ezatolahi (McNulty 79), Bacuna, Barrow, Meite. Subs not used: Mannone, Blackett, Rinomhota, Loader. Booked: Meite 55, Ezatolahi 68, Sims 70.

QPR: Lumley, Rangel, Bidwell, Leistner ©, Lynch, Cameron, Freeman, Cousins (Wszolek 82), Eze (Scowen 80), Loungo, Wells (Hemed 75). Subs not used: Ingram, Hall, Smith, Osayi-Samuel.

Referee: Andy Davies.

Attendance: 13,568 (QPR 1,400).